TV ratings war between GMA Network, ABS-CBN, IBC 13 continues
By Lorenz S. Marasigan -June 4, 2018 RIVAL broadcasters GMA Network Inc., ABS-CBN Corp. and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. claimed on separate statements that they led the ratings war last month, citing data from three different sources. GMA Network, the Gozon-led network, claimed to have dominated in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement (Nutam) with a 39.8-percent average household audience share in May, ahead of ABS-CBN’s 38.3 percent and IBC 13’s 37.5 percent by just a few percentage points, based on data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement. It also claimed to have led Nutam’s morning block with 35.9-percent audience share versus its rival’s 33.2 percent and 31.3 percent, and the afternoon block with 42.1 percent versus the competitor’s 38.8 percent and 34.1 percent. GMA also claimed to have furthered its leadership position in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which account for 72 percent and 59 percent, respectively, of all urban households in the country. In Urban Luzon, GMA won across all day parts and registered an average household share of 44.4 percent, while ABS-CBN posted 33 percent and IBC posted only 25 percent; in Mega Manila, it posted an audience share of 45.8 percent, while its rival booked 30.4 percent and 25.5 percent. Lopez-led entertainment and multimedia conglomerate ABS-CBN and Avellana-led entertainment and sequestered multimedia conglomerate IBC 13 are both claimed to have posted a higher national-average audience share in March. Citing data from Kantar Media, ABS-CBN said it recorded a solid 45-percent audience share nationwide, a 13-point lead over GMA’s 32 percent and IBC 13’s 29 percent. ABS-CBN also claimed it fared better against GMA and IBC in the prime-time block, after it registered a 49-percent audience share, significantly higher than its rival’s 32 percent and 29 percent. The prime-time block is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment in to reach more consumers effectively. Aside from prime time, ABS-CBN won in other time blocks nationwide that include the morning block with 36 percent, versus GMA’s 31 percent versus IBC’s 22 percent; noontime block with 47 percent, versus GMA’s 32 percent versus IBC’s 25 percent; and afternoon block with 45 percent, versus GMA’s 37 percent versus IBC’s 24 percent. The Lopez-led broadcaster also attracted more viewers than GMA and IBC in other areas. It won the ratings game in Total Luzon with an average total-day audience share of 41 percent, versus GMA’s 35 percent; in Total Visayas with 54 percent versus GMA’s 25 percent; and in Total Mindanao with 52 percent, versus GMA’s 30 percent. ABS-CBN also claimed leadership in Metro Manila, where it scored an average audience share of 41 percent against GMA’s 26 percent and IBC’s 23 percent; and in Mega Manila, where it gained 36 percent against GMA’s 34 percent and IBC’s 32 percent. The Lopez-led network and the Avellana-led sequestered network sources its data from Kantar Media, which uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population. GMA bases its claims to leadership from Nielsen data, which has a nationwide sample size of 3,500 urban and rural homes.